Saturday 20th July 2013
| David Starkey's Music and Monarchy (1/4) |
Dr David Starkey reveals how the story of British music was shaped by its monarchy. In this first episode he begins with kings who were also composers - Henry V and Henry VIII - and the golden age of English music they presided over. He discovers how the military and religious ambitions of England's monarchy made its music the envy of Europe - and then brought it to the brink of destruction - and why British music still owes a huge debt to Queen Elizabeth I.
Featuring specially recorded music performances from King's College Cambridge, Canterbury Cathedral and Eton College, and early music ensemble Alamire; and the music of Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, John Dunstable and John Dowland.
Dr Starkey reveals why Henry V took a choir with him to the Battle of Agincourt, and hears the music the king wrote to keep God on-side in his crusade against the French - rarely performed in the centuries since, and now sung by the choir at Canterbury Cathedral. He visits Eton College, founded by Henry VI, where today's choristers sing from a hand-illuminated choir-book which would have been used by their 16th-century predecessors; King's College, Cambridge, built by successive generations of monarchs and still world-famous for its choir; and the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I heard works created especially for their worship by some of the greatest composers in British history.
______________________________________
Sunday 21st July 2013
| The Secret Life of Uri Geller |
Uri Geller, the controversial mentalist, paranormal expert and spoon bender, has had a life in front of the cameras, a life surrounded by controversy, a life dotted with amazing psychic demonstrations. But most people didn't know that, away from the bent cutlery and broken watches, he had been leading a second, covert, life as a 'psychic spy', working secretly, and without recognition for nearly thirty years. This 'secret life' has included work for the military and intelligence agencies on three continents - indeed, the scientists who first did rigorous research on Geller more than forty years ago (and concluded that he has a phenomenal gift) were funded by the CIA.
Now, for the first time, this incredible story is going to be explored in a new television documentary, with unique and compelling interviews from Uri himself as well as those who knew and worked closely with him.
| The Talent Show Story (5/5) |
Victoria Wood narrates the documentary series looking back at the history of talent shows on British TV. This final episode lifts the lid on the talent show judges, including the roles they play in creating stars and the sometimes bitter rivalry between members of the panel. Some of the most famous names on television - including Gary Barlow, Amanda Holden, Piers Morgan, Tulisa Contostavlos, Pete Waterman, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh - reveal what it is really like to be a judge. There is also a look at how Britain's Got Talent helped bring dance back to the country's screens, and the story behind Pop Idol and its BBC rival Fame Academy.
________________________________
Monday 22nd July 2013
| Jungle Outlaws: the Chainsaw Trail - Panorama |
Panorama investigates illegal logging in the rainforest and the timber trail from Africa to West Europe. It's a lucrative trade from the stump to the checkout - that's leading to the destruction of new swathes of vital rainforest and begins with the loggers who risk their lives cutting down hundred-year-old trees for just £2.50 a day.
Reporter Raphael Rowe spent six months tracking logs from Congo's jungle, and discovers that new timber regulations are failing to stop illegally-felled wood getting into European stores and on to the consumer.
Undercover Boss (4/6)
Channel 4, 9.00pm - 10.00pm
Eleanor Kelly, Chief Executive of London's Southwark Council, examines how slashed budgets are affecting the borough's round-the-clock services, residents and staff.
______________________________
Tuesday 23rd July 2013
| Woody Allen: a Documentary - Imagine (1/2) |
imagine... presents Robert B Weide's intimate two-part study of the multi-Oscar winning New York auteur.
In this first part, Woody Allen talks candidly about his childhood in Brooklyn, his early fame as a stand-up in New York City and his first forays into screenwriting and filmmaking. He discusses his prolific body of work, which includes some of the most memorable cinematic moments of all time.
With unprecedented access to the director, Weide reveals the man behind the trademark glasses.
| Cleopatra: the Film That Changed Hollywood |
Feature-length documentary recounting the making of Cleopatra, which starred Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. The 20th Century Fox's 1963 epic film has been called the most expensive film of all time, the biggest ever flop and the film that nearly bankrupted a Hollywood studio, while the scandal of the on-set romance between its two stars caused a media storm. Featuring rare footage, the film's original uncut trailer and interviews with those involved.
